Method of and apparatus for handling and treating flexible bodies



Dec. 27, 1938. R. PASH 2,141,931

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND TREATING FLEXIBLE BODIES Filed 001:. 26, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ROBERT PA SH Dec. 27, 1938. R PASH 2,141,931

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND TREATING FLEXIBLE BODIES Filed Oct. 26, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 27, 1938. R. PASH METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND TREATING FLEXIBLE BODIES Filed Oct. 26, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ROBERT PAS/7' W/L M.

A TTORNEV 1 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HAN- DLING AND TREATING FLEXIBLE BODIES Robert Pash, Danbur'y, Conn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ai'thur H. Boesch, Danbury,

Conn.

Application October 26, 1934, Serial No. 750,113

24 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for handling flexible bodies and for felting and shrinking and more particularly to the handling and feltihgof hat bats.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method and an efficient apparatus for handling andv producing a, superior product.

In the manufacture of felt bats; fur, which has been suitably treated so that it will shrink and felt in hot water, is deposited on the outside of a large perforated forming cone by means of suitable suction within the cone. Suitable side and tip cloths are applied over the deposited fur and the cone, with the fur and cloth thereon, is submerged in scalding water. The saturated fur is peeled from the cone and then hardened, by proper manipulation, into a cone shaped bat, as is well known in the art. The bats are then given a preliminary sizing to permit them to be subjected to more severe treatment in subsequent sizing operations. These subsequent sizing operations are usually performed on a machine, of the general type shown in United States Patent No. 1,898 to J. R. Williams, December 14, 1840, which is known as a multi-roller. The bats are subjected to scalding water as they pass through the machine.

A feature of the invention is the provision of an improved multi-roller and an improved method of handling and treating the hat bats at this point in the formation of the hat body.

In some instances in the past it was found necessary to employ metallic strippers or endless tapes to prevent the bats from coming through the rolls of the multi-roller", and to prevent the forward ends of the bats from folding over while they pass between the upper and lower rows of rolls. In the improved machine, in accordance with the invention, streams or jets of scalding water are projected with considerable force at an angle through apertures in theupper row of rolls and onto the bats to prevent the bats from passing between the rolls in the upper or lower banks of rolls without the use of endless tapes or metallic strippers.

Also, with multi-rollers as used in the past, it was necessary to have an attendant constantly at the input end of the machine to feed the bats into the machine, and another attendant at the output end of the machine to take the bats as they come from the machine. In the machine, in accordance with the invention, the bats are automatically stacked in piles so that a single attendant can operate the machine.

Other objects and features will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial top plan view of the apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1- and 2 showing the method of applying the scalding water onto the bats;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the receiving or discharge end of the apparatus showing the automatic stacking arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a. partial side view showing the high speed stacking rolls arrangement.

In the drawings like parts are designated by the same.reference characters. An u per row of rubber working rolls II are mounted in bearings (not shown) in an upper frame I2. A lower row of rubber working rolls I3 are mounted in bearings (not shown) in a lower frame l4.

Spiral gears I5 are attached to each of the upper rolls II and spiral gears are attached to each of the lower rolls l3. An upper worm ll, mounted in bearings 18 in the upper frame l2, meshes with each of the gears l5, and a lower worm l9, mounted in bearings 20 in the lower frame I4, meshes with each of the gears IS. A sprocket 2| secured to the worm H, a chain 23, and a sprocket wheel 22 secured to a counter shaft 24 provide a driving connection between the counter shaft 24 and the worm 11. A sprocket 25 secured to the worm I9, a chain 26, and a sprocket 21 secured to the counter shaft 24 provide a driving connection between the counter shaft 24 and the worm I9. A driving motor 28 is connected to the counter shaft 24 by means The pipes 32 and 33 are connected through a pump 35 to a supply tank 36 containing scalding water. A pan or catch basin 31, for the water after it passes over the hat bats in the machine, is connected through a pump 38 to the tank 36 to return the water to the tank 36. The water in the tank 36 is kept at a scalding temperature by heating means not shown.

Eccentrics 38 (Fig. 2) are associated with the counter shaft 24 and with eccentric arms 48. The eccentric arms 48 are pivotally secured to stationary rocker shaft 4|. Eccentric links 42 are secured to the eccentric arms 48 'by means of studs I88 which project into the eccentric arms 48. The eccentric links 42 are movably secured to the upper frame I2 and to the lower frame i4. The rocker shaft 4i is journaled in bearings 43 in the main frame 48. This construction allows the upper and lower frames [2 and I4 to move and causes the upper and lower rows of rolls Ii and I 3 to move slowly for a short distance lengthwise of the rolls II and 13 as they are being rotated.

Several rotating feed rolls. 5| (Fig. 1) are provided at the front end of the machine for feeding bats 52 into the machine. The rolls 5| are mounted in bearings (not shown) secured to the main frame 49 and are provided with sprockets 53 (Fig. 2). A chain 54 engages the sprockets 53 and other sprockets (not shown) on the forward lower roll I3, to rotate the feed rolls 5|.

Rotating carrier rolls 55 are located at the rear or output end of the machine and the bats 52 are carried over them as they emerge from the working rolls Ii and i2. These rolls 55 are rotated by a chain and sprockets attached to them and to'the lower roll ii at the output end of the machine. Brushes 56, secured to a shaft 68, are mounted over the carrier rolls 55 so that they contact with the bats 52 as they pass over the carrier rolls 55. The brushes 56 are held in contact with the bats 52 by their own weight and are revolved in the same direction as the upper working rolls i I but at a higher speed by means of a chain 66, a sprocket 61 secured to a shaft 68 on which the brushes 56 are mounted, and a sprocket 69 secured to a shaft 18. The shaft 68 is mounted in bearing 11 in arms 12. Brushes having rubber impregnated fabric fins 48 have been found satisfactory in practice.

An upper hard rubber roll 51 and a lower hard rubber roll 58 are mounted behind carrier rolls 55 and are connected by means of a chain and sprockets to a motor 13. The rolls 51 and 58 are grooved to give a corrugated shape to the bats 53 as they pass between them. These rolls 51 and 58 are rotated at a much higher speed than the rolls 55. It has been found in practice that a speed of approximately 380 R. P. M. is satisi'actory for the rolls 51 and 58 when the rolls 55 have a speed of approximately 26 R. P. M. and

rolls 55, 51 and 58 are approximately the same diameter.

The upper corrugated roll 51 is journaled in bearings 59 (Fig. 6) mounted in blocks 68. The blocks 68 are assembled in the main frame 49 so that the blocks 68' and the'rolls 51 can be moved upward. A spring 62 is secured between the main frame 48 and a pressure arm 58. The pressurearm 58 is pivoted at GI and as the arms 50 are in contact with the blocks 68 they press the upper roll 51 toward the lower roll 58 and provide sufllcient pressure to corrugate the saturated hat b'ats 52 as they pass between the rolls 51 and 58.

A roll 53 is located behind the roll 58. A sprocket '15 connected to roll 51, a chain 14 and a sprocket 16 connected to roll 63 are provided to rotate roll 63 at the same speed as the rolls 51 and 58. A so-called drag member 84 is 10- cated behind the roll 63 and the top of the drag member 84 is slightly higher than the top of roll 58 to retard the bats 52 as they are thrown from the rapidly rotating rolls 51 and 58. A bat rest 65 is located in back of the drag member 64. The bats stack and lose their corrugated form as they are thrown from the rolls 51 and 58 onto the rest 65.

. There is sufllcient space for a bat to come up between the rolls i I, even when they are mounted as close together as is practicable. The lower row of rolls l3 are mounted in staggered relation to the upper rolls H (see Fig. 5) and the same distance apart as the upper rolls. It has been found in practice that it is seldom, if ever, that the bats pass downward between the lower rolls or that the forward end of the bats turn under as they pass between the upper and lower row of rolls. It is not definitely known what causes the bats to tend to turn upward instead of downward, but it is believed that this is due to the fact that the scalding water necessary for the shrinking operation is applied from the top of the machine and that the top of the bat shrinks slightly faster than the bottom, causing it to dish or curl upward. In addition, since the bats are fed lapped one upon another and carried in this manner through the machine, if the first hat of a group is carried across the rolls, each succeeding hat of that group is carried across the spaces between the lower rolls.

Instead of following the usual practice used in the past of spraying the water on the upper portion of the upper row of rolls and allowing it to flow down between the rolls, scalding water is forced through the nozzles 34 with sufiicient force to, prevent the forward end of the hat bats from turning upward and/or passing up between the upper rolls ll. While it would also be possible to use air under pressure to prevent the tips from curling upward, the application of the scalding water in the manner described above has the advantage that the scalding water is applied directly to the bats.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Driving motors 28 and 13 are started and the water in the supply tank is brought up to the proper temperature. The motor 28 rotates the feed rolls 5|, the upper and lower working rolls Ii and i3 and the rear carrier rolls 55 by means of the mechanism above described. The motor 28 operates the eccentric driving mechanism described and causes the upper and lower rows of rolls II and I3 to move back and forth lengthwise of the rolls. The pumps 35 and 38 circulate the water through the machine, the pump 35 forcing the scalding water through nozzles 34. The motor 13 rotates the corrugating rolls 51 and the roll 63.

Bats 52 are placed on the feed rolls 5| in an overlapping manner as shown in Fig. 1. The rotating feed rolls 5| carry the bats forward and they pass between the upper and lower working rolls H and I3. The jets of scalding water from the nozzles 34 strike the bats 52 while they are moving forward through the machine. As shown in Fig. 5, when a bat moves forward of an upper roll II, the Jet of water urges the tip of the bat downward and forward under the next upper roller ll, thereby preventing the bat frompassing upward between adjacent rolls ii andalso preventing the tip of the bat from folding over due to the upward movement of the rear side of the rolls H. Suflicient water is expelled from each of the jets 34 to fill the space between the two adjacent upper rolls II and the associated lower roll l3 and thereby saturate the bats 52 with scalding water. This causes the bats 52 to rapidly and uniformly shrink or felt.

As the bats 52 emerge from the rotating and oscillating working rolls II and I3 they pass onto the rotating carrier rolls 55 and under the rotating brushes 56 which smooth out the tips of the bats and remove any folds in the bats.

From the carrier rolls 55 the bats pass through the rapidly rotating corrugating rolls 51 and 58. These rolls corrugate the bats to stiflen them and move them forward at a rapidrate over the rotating roll 63. The bats 52 then strike the raised drag member 64 which slows up their movement and at the same time deflects them upward. The bats are then thrown through the air and stack up flat on the bat rest 65.

While only a single embodiment of the invention is shown and described in detail, numerous modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the applicant's invention, the scope 01. which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bat stacking device, means for propelling the bats, means for smoothing out the. bats as they are being propelled, and means for corrugating the bats after they have been smoothed V out.

2. In a bat stacking device, rolls for propelling the bats, a brush for smoothing out the bats and a pair of other rolls between which the bats are adapted to pass for propelling them at a higher rate of speed than that at which they are propelled by said first mentioned rolls.

3. In a bat stacking device, a pair of rolls between which the bats are adapted to pass for propelling them at, a high rate of speed, one of said rolls projecting above the other and a drag member located higher than the lower roll for retarding the speed of the bats as they emerge from the rolls, said pair of rolls having corrugations therein for imparting stiflness to said bats.

4. In a bat stacking device, rotating rolls over which the bats are adapted to pass, a brush for smoothing outv the bats as they pass over said rolls, another pair of rolls one of which projects above the other and between which thebats are adapted to pass for corrugating the bats and imparting a speed to the bats greater than that at which they are propelled by the flrstmentioned rolls, a drag member located higher than the lower roll of the last mentioned pair for retarding the speed of the bats as they emerge from the pair of rolls, and means upon which the bats I are stacked.

5. In a bat stacking device, rotating rolls over which the bats are adapted to pass, a brush for smoothing out the bats as they pass over said rolls, another pair of rolls one of which projects one above the other and between which the bats are adapted to pass for corrugating the bats and imparting a speed to the bats greater than that at which they are propelled by the first mentioned rolls, a rotating roll in the path of said bats as they emerge ,from the corrugated rolls, means upon which the bats are stacked, and a drag member located higher than the lower corrugating roll and in the path of said bats between the last mentioned means and the last mentioned rotating roll for retarding the speed of the bets.

6. In a bat stacking device, means for propelling the bats and means for corrugating the bats, said last mentioned means comprising a the rolls.

7. In a bat stacking device, a pair of rolls between which the bats are adapted to pass for propelling them at a high rate of speed, a slow-down roll, and a drag member for retarding the speed of the bats as they emerge from the rolls, said slow-down roll located between the first mentioned rolls andisaid drag member, said pair of rolls being corrugated and arranged to propel the bats at the peripheral speed of said rolls and without slippage between the bats and the corrugated rolls.

8. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of rolls positioned to engage opposite sides of a. bat to propel it through said rolls, means for rotating said rolls, and means for retarding the movement of said bat after it leaves said rolls, said rolls having formations thereon to deform and stifien said bat as it passes therethrough.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in

combination, means for supporting and imparting movement to a plurality of limp, wet bats, means for imparting relative rigidity to said bats and projecting them through the air, and a substantially flat unobstructed table for receiving said bats, whereby said bats are automatically stacked in substantially regular superimposed relationship without being guided thereto.

10. The herein described art which consists in propelling a number of limp. wet bats in a desired direction, imparting relative rigidity to said bats along lines generally parallel to the direction of movement thereof and individually propelling them further in said direction, projecting said bats through the air in said direction, and stacking said bats in superimposed relationship on a substantially flat unobstructed table.

11. The herein described art which consists in direction, elevating the leading edge of each bat,

as it is projected, and stacking the bats in superimposed relationship.

13. The herein described art which consists in propelling a number of limp, wet bats in a desired direction, imparting relative rigidity to said bats, projecting said bats through the air in said direction, elevating the leading edge of each bat as it is projected, retarding the flightgof each bat, and stacking the bats in superimposed relationship.

14. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of bats, and a device for stacking said bats in regular, superimposed relationship, said device including a pair of rotatable parts which when engaging a bat are spaced apart by an amount less than the normal thickness of a bat, said parts being shaped and proportioned to grasp and mutually project the bats without any slippage therebetween.

15. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of bats, a device for stacking said bats in regular, superimposed relationship, said device including a pair of rotatable parts which when engaging a bat are spaced apart by an amount less than the normal thickness of a bat, said parts being shaped and proportioned to grasp and mutually project the bats without any slippage therebetween, and means urging said parts toward one another.

16. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of bats, a device for stacking said bats in regular superimposed relationship, said device including a pair of rotatable parts which when engaging a bat are spaced apart by an amount less than the normal thickness of a bat, said parts being shaped and proportioned to grasp and mutually project the bats without any slippage therebetween, and a substantially flat, unobstructed table for receiving the projected bats, whereby said bats are stacked in substantially regular superimposed relationship without being guided thereto.

1'7. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of bats, means for imparting relative rigidity to said bats and continuing the propulsion thereof, said last-mentioned means also adapted to project said bats through the air, and means for elevating the leading edge of each bat as it is projected, whereby the bats fall successively upon one another in stacked relationship.

18. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of bats, means for imparting relative regidity to said bats and continuing the propulsion thereof, said last-mentioned means also adapted to project said bats through the air, meansfor elevating the leading edge of each bat as it is projected, and means for retarding the flight of each bat, where- 'by the bats fall successively upon one another ing movement to a plurality of bats, means for stiffening said bats and projecting them through the air, and a substantially flat unobstructed table for receiving said bats, said table being located below the point at which the bats are projected, whereby said bats are automatically stacked in combination, a pair of parallel rolls for grasping.

and projecting bats through the air, said rolls being spaced apart by an amount less than the normal thickness of a bat, means for retarding the flight of each bat as it is projected, and a substantially flat unobstructed table for receiving said bats, whereby they are stacked in substantially regular superimposed relationship without being guided thereto.

21. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for supporting and imparting movement to a plurality of limp; wet bats, means for imparting relative rigidity to said bats and projecting them through the air without interrupting their movement, and a substantially flat unobstructed table for receiving said bats, whereby they are stacked in substantially regular superimposed relationship without being guided thereto.

22. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a frame, a roll rotatably mounted in said frame, a vertically movable carriage associated with said frame, a second roll rotatably mounted in said carriage and movable therewith, means for rotating said rolls, said rolls being positioned to grasp and individually project through the air a succession of bats, means for directing the flight of said bats upwardly, and a table for receiving said bats.

23. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for propelling a plurality of limp, wet bats, a device for stacking said bats in regular superimposed relationship, said device including a pair of rotatable rolls which are spaced apart by an amount less than the normal thickness of a bat, said rolls being adapted to grasp and project the bats without any slippage therebetween, said rolls having corrugations formed thereon to deform and stlifen the bat as it passes therebetween, and means for rotating said rolls.

24. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for supporting and imparting movement to a plurality of limp, wet bats, and means associated with said first-mentioned means for deforming said bats to impart relative rigidity thereto, said first-mentioned means also adapted to project said bats unguided into superimposed relationship.

ROBERT PASH. 

